End panel top lock for wraparound carrier



: y 1956 E. J. GRASER ETAL 3,252,649

END PANEL TOP LOCK FOR WRAP-AROUND CARRIER Filed Aug. 31, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS EARL J. GRASER BY RICHARD L.$CHU$ TER A T'TORNEY May 24, 1966 GRASER ET AL 3,252,649

END PANEL TOP LOOK FOR WRAP-AROUND CARRIER Filed Aug. 31, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. EARL J. GRASER RICHARD L.$CHU$TER BY adi? ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 3,252,549 Patented May 24, 1966 3,...52,649 END PANEL T131 LOCK FOR WRAP- AROUND CARRIER Earl .l'. Grasei' and Richard L. Schuster, Monroe, Lip,

assignors to ()iin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a

corporation of Virginia Filed Aug. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 393,252 3 Claims. (Cl. 22--4(l) The present invention relates to article carriers and relates in particular to wrap-around article carriers of the type having top, bottom and side walls including end walls.

It is a particular feature of the present invention to provide a carrier of the above general class having an interior partition structure operative to cooperate with tuck panels to lock the end walls in position.

The present invention is an improvement upon the wrap-around article carriers disclosed and claimed in copending applications S.N. 304,448 filed August 26, 1963, by Graser et 0.1., now Patent No. 3,181,727, and S.N. 383,373 filed July 17, 1964, by Graser.

In the wrap-around article carriers disclosed in said copending applications the blank used to fabricate the carrier includes, in addition to top, bottom and side wall panels, a pair of opposed end panel sections each embracing a plurality of end panels and a plurality of tuck panels.

The present invention relates to the structure and configuration of the tuck panels and their cooperation with an interior partition structure within the carrier operative to lock the upper end of the end wall panels in a position enclosing the ends of an erected carrier.

As is disclosed and claimed in said copending applications an additional bottom lock may be utilized, if desired.

A wrap-around carrier embracing certain principles of the present invention may comprise a wrap-around carton having integrally connected end wall panels and tuck panels in combination with an internal partition, said tuck panels being formed with a locking surface operative to engage and contact said partition eliective to retain said tuck panels and said end wall panels in tucked position.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrap-around article carrier including a partition, with certain portions thereof broken away for clarity. The end panels and the tuck panels are shown as they are ordinarily disposed prior to the tucking step.

FIG. 2 shows a view similar to FIG. 1 with the tuck panels and end panels in final position; not that the tuck panels are in locking engagement with the partition, and

FIG. 3 is a view of a portion of FIG. 1 as observed in the plane represented by the line 33 and in the direction shown by the arrows (as viewed from the bottom of the carrier).

Referring now in detail to the drawings the reference numeral 11 designates an erected carrier or a package comprising a single blank of packaging material B, a separate partition panel P and a plurality of articles A.

Blank B includes top wall 11, bot-tom wall 12 and side Walls 13 and 14. Hinged to blank B are end wall panels 16 and 17.

Tuck panels 18, 19 and 21 make a hinged connection with top wall 11 and end panels 16 and 17 in the fashion disclosed and described in the said copending applications.

Note that the opposite end (not shown) of the package disclosed in FIGS. 1 through 3 includes end wall and tuck panel structure of corresponding design; however, for convenience, only one set of panels will be described in detail with the understanding that the opposite end pane-ls are constructed andarranged in similar fashion.

Partition P includes a longitudinal partition panel 22 having a locking lug 23.

Central tuck panel 18 is formed with a locking surface 24 operative to engage and override lug 23 upon the occurrence of the tucking step so that panels 18, 19 and 21 and cooperating end panels 16 and 17 are retained in tucked position. Thus, a locking action is developed between lug 23 of the partition panel 22 and locking surface 24 of tuck panel 18. See FIG. 3.

In accordance with said copending application S.N. 383,373 if additional locking action is desired, the bottom portion of panels 16 and 17 may be locked by inserting tab 26 into slots 27 and 28 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Obviously, the partition P of the present invention may embrace a partition panel operative to divide articles A longitudinally and it may include additional transverse panels operative to divide articles A transversely as well.

Furthermore, the top lock of the present invention contemplates a wrap-around article carrier including an interior partition where end panels 16 and 17 are of full lengthas shown in FIG. 2 or panels of less than full length, for example, of a length represented by the dotted dimension line in FIG. 2 labeled D.

It is anticipated that a wide variety of constructions and arrangements of the present invention may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wraparound article carrier having hinged top, bottom and side walls including recessed tuck panels hinged to said top Wall, said carrier including an interior longitudinal partition panel the improvement comprising: a locking lug formed on the top of said longitudinal partition and a locking surface formed on one of said tuck panels, said locking surface being operative to engage and overlay said locking lug elfective to retain said recessed tuck panels in a tucked position.

2. In a wrap-around carrier of the type having hinged top, bottom and side walls encircling and enclosing a plurality of articles, said carrier having at least one tuck panel hinged to the top wall and at least one end Wall panel hinged to the tuck panel, the combination therewith of an interior partition panel, said tuck panel projecting inwardly beneath said top wall and being formed with a locking surface operative to engage and contact said partition panel elfective to retain said tuck panel and said end wall in a tucked position.

3. In a wrap-around carrier of the type having hinged top, bottom and side walls encircling and enclosing a plurality of articles, said carrier having a plurality of recessed tuck panels hinged to the top wall and a pair of end wall panels hinged to the tuck panels, the combination therewith of a longitudinal interior partition panel, one of said tuck panels projecting inwardly beneath said top wall and being formed with a locking surface operative to engage and contact said longitudinal partition efiective to retain all said tuck panels and said pair of end Wall panels in a tucked position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,314,895 3/ 1943 Powell 220-112 2,3 84,480 9/ 1945 Lupton 220-413 2,446,161 7/1948 Price 220114 X 3,167,214 l/l965 Mahon 229-40 X 3,181,727 5/1965 Graser et a1 220-115 GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A WRAP-AROUND ARTICLE CARRIER HAVING HINGED TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS INCLUDING RECESSED TUCK PANELS HINGED TO SAID TOP WALL, SAID CARRIER INCLUDING AN INTERIOR LONGITUDINAL PARTITION PANEL THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A LOCKING LUG FORMED ON THE TOP OF SAID LONGITUDINAL PARTITION AND A LOCKING SURFACE FORMED ON ONE OF SAID TUCK PANELS, SAID LOCKING SURFACE BEING OPERATIVE TO ENGAGE AND OVERLAY SAID LOCKING LUG EFFECTIVE TO RETAIN SAID RECESSED TUCK PANELS IN A TUCKED POSITION. 